What About That Halo Now?
by alibradragon
Summary: It was scary and welcoming how she didn't judge him, no matter what he did. Riku&Olette. RxR!


**Title:** What about that Halo Now?

**Characters:** Riku, Olette, Mickey (with mentions of Sora, Hayner and Pence)

**Pairing(s):** Riku/Olette, one sided Hayner/Olette if you squint!

**Rating:** K

**Summary:** It was scary and welcoming how she didn't judge him, no matter what he did.

**Notes:** Watching 358/2 Days inspired me to (re)write this. Also, omg I love my OTP. Honestly though, that's nothing new. AND YES I WAS LISTENING TO 'HALO' BY BEYONCE. THE SONG IS CATCHY AND IT KINDA FITS. And I kinda wanted to play with the idea of Ansem!Riku. Also, 'What about Now?' by Daughtry played another good part XD.

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Really, why was she following them? This was no place for her, and he was sure that her friends would kill him.

Well, they'd _try_ to anyways. Okay, Hayner would try to kill him for taking 'his' precious Olette away from them. Riku didn't even take her! She seized the moment and ran after him and Mickey into that corridor of darkness just as the gates to the mansion shut

Hayner and Pence out. Smart of her, but incredibly stupid.

"Don't you see that you're a walking target?!" Riku said, although it was Ansem's voice that he heard, reminding him that he had made his own choices, all for Sora, so Sora would return and things with him and Kairi would be okay (because Sora _cherishes_ Kairi) and...

He'd just go back to being there for them. That was okay. Riku believed it was okay, he'd accept that.

His acceptance of that started to dwindle the more he watched Olette from a distance. Olette made conversation with the King so casually, like they had been friends for a while, and Mickey was more than willing to tell her things (minus Riku tapping into the powers of darkness, that this much taller figure with them was actually Riku), and Riku had to tell the King that their mission wasn't something to be talked about so openly.

That day, Olette actually laughed. She_ laughed_(and he tried to be annoyed but her laughter was just so sweet, and amusing, but more importantly it was still _carefree_) at him and in this almost mocking voice she said "Do you think I don't believe it? I want to help."

Riku was ready to protest this, not until she pointed out that DiZ had unknowingly threw all of them into this situation just by creating virtual data of her, Hayner, and Pence. He threw them into this the moment they felt an odd twinge of...nostalgia when they met Sora.

Olette told him she had a right to know.

"Well, you and the King will protect me right, whoever you are?" That question broke Riku out of his flashback thought train. He actually scoffed and felt the need to pick up his pace to get some more distance between them.

"...We wouldn't have to if you had stayed behind. Why?...Why did you follow us?!" he snapped again, knowing it was Ansem's voice that made Olette step back, flinching a little and it left Riku mentally berating himself.

"I told you. I want to help. You guys are looking for Riku too, right?" Olette said, a frown still on her face. A frown that Riku thought that did not suit someone like her.

"...He's gone. Nobody will find him." Riku spoke. That was right, he didn't want to be found, not when he was looking like this. This constant reminder of what he had done, all in attempts to leave his home because he was bored and wanted to see these new places.

What did he see when he left? Darkness. He had been looking at Olette from over his shoulder, although he was sure all she could see was the black hood. He wasn't sure how to react to her facial expression changing.

"....You're Riku, aren't you?" she asked.

Thank God she couldn't see those gold colored eyes of his (No, _Ansem's_) widening. Although he started to kick himself so he could find something to say.

"...You _are_!"

And Riku could hear her sneakers against the grass, green blade crunching underneath the dark soles and out of reflex he turned around to look down at her. "No. I'm just...Ansem..." he was losing his voice because her arms were reaching up for his hood.

No. She'd pull it back and she'd be _horrified_ and she'd stay close to the King and she wouldn't look at him and...wait, **why** was he in such a panic? He shouldn'tve cared about what this girl did! But...maybe he had to because who else would now that her friends weren't around and...

Oh God.

He can feel her fingers on the leather, the material squeezing just a little and with a lightning quick reflex he grabbed her wrist, and he heard her cry out followed by Mickey gasping (but shutting himself up before he blurted something he couldn't take back).

"N-no. You can't...I won't let you see me like **this**...I'm horrible." He found himself uttering, anger and sadness easily identifiable along with something else he couldn't pinpoint. Was it desperation?

Olette's hold loosened and from behind the dark hood, he could see worry etched onto her features.

"...Maybe you should..." Mickey started to say, but he could see the glare Riku had shot him from behind that hood and the mouse shut himself up again.

"Let me see." Olette replied.

"No." Riku's response was final. He wasn't going to let anybody see him this way. No one. He didn't care how hurt Olette looked.

"Riku." Olette repeated.

"I'm **not** Riku!" was the next defiant response, anger rising again.

"If you're not Riku, and you're Ansem, then you wouldn't have a problem taking off your hood." Olette countered, eerily calm, which unnerved Riku. "Are you Riku or not?"

Anger bubbling over, Riku released Olette's wrist and let his free hand reach up and pull off the hood. "Is this what you want to see?! **THIS**?!" he shouted at her, "This is the Riku everybody's looking for! The Riku that **doesn't** want to be found! The Riku that **shouldn't** be found! You'd _never_ understand—"

Wait, did she...

Did she just _touch _him? Were those her (very soft and smooth) hands on his face? He tried to read her face for any indication of fear but he found nothing. Absolutely _nothing_ and he wasn't sure if he should be angry or enjoy that feeling...the feeling of non-judgement. Ever since he had remained in this form, he couldn't help but let paranoia settle in. Paranoia at the fact that everytime Mickey or DiZ might've looked at him, they either pitied him or thought he was a disgrace for giving into the darkness this way.

"What are you doing?" he finally asked.

"I don't think this is the Riku that people are looking for, either. The Riku that people are looking for is here." Olette tapped her fingers where his heart lay. "Riku, you can't hide from Sora or Kairi...they'll know it's you by heart."

Before Riku could think of a coherent response, he felt her arms encircle him and he had to look down at that mop of chocolate colored hair because she had pressed her ear to his chest, and he was certain she was hearing his heart beating almost wildly (it damn sure wasn't steady, not with how close she was to him, despite him looking like a monster).

"I wanna see that Riku. I know I'm gonna see him," Olette pulled back to stare up at him, "So I'm going to wait for him too. When I see you—the _real_ you—I'll wear a smile regardless."

Mickey watched Riku hesitantly return that hug, and nothing had ever looked more right. He believed that because his eyes really did let him see that it was Riku, and not Ansem standing there.

Maybe Olette coming along might have been one of the best changes they could have hoped for.

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**Author's Ending Notes:** Fweeeee, I liked writing this! And Yeah, I think Olette would do this! I wanted to push the boundaries and throw in a kiss because that's what the mental images had been giving me, but I decided against that. Maybe I'll write it as some side story/drabble or something! Till later, folks! Reviews, I loves 'em!


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